A Thousand Lives
by Darklycopene
Summary: "Time isn't straight. It isn't a line. It's a circle." A story of Natsu and Lucy's intertwined relationship long before she even joined the guild. NALU reincarnation fic, featuring three of their lives and the things that link them all.
1. Chapter 1

Lucy and Natsu were sitting in one of the pews in the guild hall, discussing their latest mission and the lack of reward.

"We didn't even destroy that much of the town. I'm pretty sure they ripped us off with how much they took of our reward." Lucy huffed.

Natsu was about to voice his agreement when Master Makarov appeared beside them, holding a stein of beer. He looked pointedly firstly at Natsu, and then at Lucy.

"Time isn't a straight thing, you know." He said thoughtfully. "Just because humans gave a 'yesterday' 'today' and 'tomorrow' to the days, doesn't mean they appear in that order."

Natsu frowned, confused. "What are you banging on about now, Gramps?"

Master Makarov continued. "Just because this life is experienced _now,_ does not mean to say that other lives, other times, were not experienced previously to this one." He paused. "This life may have been your first together, however it may have been your hundredth." He pointed a finger at them both. "The lives that you will experience may not be set in the 'tomorrows' of time, either."

Natsu grimaced. "What on E _arthland_ are you talking about?" All that booze is hurting your brain, gramps."

"Time isn't straight. It isn't a line. It's a circle. And as humans, we move around that circle in many different ways. Your previous life may have been in what we determine to be the future, for all we know."

Natsu snorted. "Yep, definitely the booze."

"Time circles, and so will you."

Lucy looked at Natsu, and then to Master Makarov, a painfully strange feeling overwhelming her. "I've…. Heard this somewhere before…."

Master Makarov looked at Lucy and smiled gently. "Maybe you have, Lucy."

With that, the Master took a swig of his ale and walked away, leaving Natsu and Lucy sitting, staring at the empty space he left.

"That was weird."

* * *

X360.

"Natsu?" A small, blonde girl called. "Natsu!" She was holding a small, gift-wrapped present.

A small, toothy grinned boy appeared from the bushes. He wore long black pants and no top with a scarf hanging loosely around his neck, looking every bit an adventurer with his messy, pink hair.

The girl grinned widely, her two front teeth missing, having fallen out several weeks ago. "Happy Birthday, Natsu!" She said, presenting the gift which he accepted. "I got you a present!"

The boy, Natsu, returned her smile and plonked himself down to the ground as he began tearing at the paper haphazardly. He pulled out a small blue box and opened it. He fumbled to get inside it, and twisted his small hands around the contents; a small, circle shaped necklace.

"Wow, Lucy! It's so… cool!" He said, mesmerised by the way the sun glinted off it playfully. "Where'd you get it?"

The girl kicked bashfully at the ground, a small blush gracing her plump cheeks. "Some of the monks have been teaching me magic. I made it using the Earth Magic of one of the celestial stars."

Natsu's mouth fell open and he squawked excitedly. "You _made_ this? With a celestial star? That's so _cool,_ Lucy!"

"Not _with_ a celestial star, _from_ a celestial star, silly." Lucy said, wagging her finger. "I used the special star, Taurus, because it has a special connection to Earth Magic!"

Natsu fingered the pendant. "So it's made out of the stars, then?"

Lucy frowned, confused. "Hm. I don't know." She paused, looking into the sky. "That might be a question for Zeref!" She turned her attention to the pink hair boy on the ground in front of her and grinned.

Natsu looked up to Lucy standing above him as she held out her hand. He grabbed onto it as she hauled him up. "Sounds good, Luce!"

The small blonde girl blushed. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?" She said, pulling her hand away.

Natsu laughed happily. "It's cute! Like you!"

With that, he grabbed her hand and ran off towards the temple, Lucy following haphazardly behind him. He turned to look behind himself at her, and shot her a toothy grin. The young girl couldn't help but beam back at him, caught up in his exuberance for life.

* * *

X884.

Lucy Heartfilia sat alone at the bar, sliding her hand up and down her wine glass. She didn't usually come to places like this, but Juvia's birthday was obviously a special occasion, and she _had_ promised to do whatever she wanted for the night. Lucy sighed, feeling completely ridiculous. A small, black cocktail dress and a white flower pinned in her hair made her feel conspicuous, like she was trying too hard among the more casually dressed patrons. Lucy jumped as she felt a pair of hands land squarely on her shoulders.

"Lucy! Sorry we're late!" a voice said, as Lucy turned to face them. "We took the subway and it was delayed at fourth."

Lucy smiled and rolled her eyes. "You're lucky I keep my promises, Juvia." She pulled a small gift from her purse. "Happy twenty-third Birthday."

Juvia squealed and jumped excitedly as she took the present. "Oh, Lucy! You didn't have to buy me anything!" She spun around, showing the gift to the handful of people behind her. "Look, Lucy got me a present!"

The group behind her smiled and thanked Lucy in a chorus of "nice, Lucy", "cool", and "Trust Lucy to bring a present when the invite said not to!"

Lucy stood up from her seat at the bar. "Well, shall we?"

Juvia smiled brightly and grabbed onto the dark haired boy standing next to her, beaming at him. "Yes, we shall!"

The group shuffled up the stairs and into a small booth. They each placed their mobile-lacrimas on the table on the far end as was their tradition when they met up and began chattering away to each other. Wendy, sitting across from Gajeel and Levy chatted to them politely about her studies in medicine, and Levy caught her up on her and Gajeel's latest travels to far off lands. In the middle of the booth sat Gray and Juvia who had taken up conversation with Jellal and Erza. Or rather, Juvia and Erza were discussing the former's wedding plans to a chorus of "And how long will the dress be?" and "But I think I like navy over cerulean" while Jellal and Gray intermittently discussed the quality of the food at the bar.

Lucy smiled at the far end of the booth. It was rare that her group of friends would meet up all together. Usually, they would meet up in small groups of two or three, when their work, study or previous engagements would allow it. She absent mindedly listened to Erza and Juvia talk about the wedding plans, happy for her two friends who had found love so early. Sometimes, when she thought too hard about it, she couldn't figure out how her friends had ended up with someone so compatible so early. Especially while she was still single, flitting from date to date, never quite meeting a suitable match. She had learnt to shrug off her string of unsuccessful boyfriends, and found that she almost expected the relationships to fail even before she met them for dates. It wasn't as if she was overly picky, just that the men she had dated were simply lacking something. It didn't make sense to her, how could she still be searching for the right person while her friends had found their proclaimed 'soul mates' so young?

She had told Levy her confusion with her ability to find her partner so young in life, and Levy had simply looked at her with a knowing glint in her eyes and said "I feel like I've known Gajeel forever.", and went on to say something about how it felt like she was just continuing a journey she started long ago. Lucy had taken in what she was saying with polite attention, and then scoffed at the notion when she returned to the thoughts on her own.

So there Lucy sat, at the end of the booth, listening in on conversations but not actually joining in. She took a deep breath and picked up her drink again, taking an absent minded sip.

"Where the hell is Natsu?" She heard Gray say. "He was supposed to be here, like, fifteen minutes ago. Lazy bastard."

Lucy frowned at him, unaware of a ninth person joining their party. The name sounded familiar, like she had met him before, but she couldn't for the life of her figure out where.

"Who's Natsu, Gray?" Lucy asked.

Gray looked at her sideways. "Just an idiot I grew up with. Juvia said I had to invite him" He said, nudging his fiancé. "Because he's my best man."

"Oi, who you calling 'idiot', princess?" A voice called out.

Gray stood up from the bar and crossed his arms. "About time. You're late."

The man came closer, grinning widely. "Yeah, well. I'm here now." He said, winking at Gray before taking the vacant seat across from Lucy.

Gray rolled his eyes and sat back in the pew an ornery sigh escaping his lips, before resuming his conversation with Jellal.

Lucy stared at the new person sitting across from her. A dark long sleeved shirt, cream coloured baggy pants and a scarf tied around his neck. Dark eyes and a mischievous grin. Oh, and pink hair. She'd never met someone with pink hair before. Strangely, despite knowing she'd never met this odd man, she felt like she knew him. As if she had hazily encountered him on a previous occasion.

"Somethin' I can help you with there?" He said, one eyebrow raised.

Lucy blinked and turned her head to the side, suddenly embarrassed. "I just… feel like we've met before." She replied uncertainly.

The man leaned his head back and took in Lucy's features. "Yeah, I guess you look familiar, but… I don't think I've met you. Don't meet too many people with…" he motioned vaguely at her hair. "Ya know, blonde hair."

Lucy smirked, hiding her relief that it was not only her who found the other familiar. "Interesting thing to say considering you have pink hair." She said, eyebrow raised.

The man shrugged and grinned lopsidedly. "It's my natural hair colour too. Some genetic thing." He waved his hand around haphazardly. "Blah blah, chromosomes blah, alleles." He explained.

Lucy chuckled. "An excellent explanation."

The man grinned at her. "I'm Natsu, by the way." He said, thrusting a hand over the table at her.

"Lucy. Lucy Heartfilia." She replied, shaking his hand politely.

Natsu gripped her hand as his eyes darked at her, a frown covering his features. "Heartfilia?"

His features had changed, as if something had slid over his chirpy, friendly disposition.

Lucy leaned back from the man, removing her hand from his. "Yes. Heartfilia."

"I… I know that name…" He said carefully, gently, as if he was saying it to himself more than her.

Lucy racked her brain, trying to think of something her family had been involved in that would warrant this sort of reaction. She was just a school teacher with a penchant for astronomy, and her parents were civil servants that worked in a local union. Nothing special there. Perhaps it was a name he had heard before in conversation, or from one of the articles she had been in showcasing her extensive research of the stars, in their local paper. Perhaps her last name was so uncommon it was impossible to forget if one was to hear it again.

Natsu continued to stare at her, confusion gently laced with panic staining his face. He reached into his shirt and pulled out a circle shaped pendant. The light glinted off it mesmerizingly, as if it were a miniature sun. He held it up in front of her and looked into her eyes. "Does this look familiar?"

Lucy's face paled. She looked from the pendant to the man and back to the pendant. She felt compelled to touch it, like she had to know its feel in her own hands. "Where- Where did you get that?" She said, reaching across the table to touch it.

Natsu pulled back instantly, removing himself from her grasp. His happy-go-lucky persona from previously all but vanished. Now, he seemed hazy, confused. "I've always had it. It… was a gift, I think."

Lucy felt like she had been dumped into a whole new world, as if she could see nothing other than the man in front of her and the pendant he had around his neck. "I've had dreams…." She trailed, saying it more to herself than him. "With this pendant in them…" she paused again, as if relieving a distant memory. "And… a star."

Natsu sucked in a breath of air, his world focussing on the blonde girl in front of him. "Taurus, right? Like, earth. The earth element."

Lucy nodded slowly. She felt nebulous, like a hazy memory had settled itself over her present state. She knew that pendent, she was _sure_ of it. It was so unique, but she knew she had seen in a million times before in the dreams she had. She had them most nights. Dreams of a boy holding a pendant and… the stars…

She felt uneasy, and judging by the paled look of the man across from her, he was feeling the same way.

"I think… I have to show you something." He said, apprehension coating his voice.

He stood up from the table. "Will you come with me?" He said, extending his hand.

Lucy looked at him purposefully for a few moments before gently placing her hand in his. "Let's go."

She stood up from the seat, and he tugged at her hand, pulling her along with him. They strode quickly from the bar, ignoring the confused questions of their friends. Lucy didn't understand what compelled her to get up and leave the party she spent so long getting ready for, simply knowing there was something he had to show her and she absolutely _had_ to leave with him right then and there.

* * *

 **Hello! Haha, so this was really hard to write. I've got this awesome concept for a story that is so tragically difficult to materialize I'm not sure if I'll even continue it. However, I've always loved the idea of re-incarnation, and to me, Natsu and Lucy seem to fit the bill for people that would have known each other in previous lives.**

 **So if you guys are cool with it, I'd like to include a lemon in a few chapters time, but only if people are okay with it? No pressure or anything :)!**

 **For those of you who followed me because of "Touch Me.", please rest assured that there will be definitely another chapter (and possibly 2-3) addressing their relationship (and likely with more smut!)**

 **I'd really, really love to know your thoughts and opinions on this. Sorry if they appear OOC!**

 **Thanks!**

 **Have a lovely day/night :)! Stay safe.**

 **Ella xxoo**


	2. Chapter 2

Lucy and Natsu walked along the path towards the guild with Happy hovering slightly above them. Their last job had been a fantastic success, and apart from not destroying any of the city (and therefore not forgoing any of their reward), they were done in record time! Granted, the job was only the next town over, but still, their sense of pride and accomplishment had reigned supreme, with lots of high fives and congratulations exchanged. After a while, their congratulatory high plateaued and they found themselves walking almost silently. Though, just because Natsu had been silent, did not mean to say he was not thinking things over in his head. His mind had been focussed on something Gramps had said to both him and Lucy a few days ago. Something about time looping, being a circle. He couldn't remember exactly what had been said.

"Hey, Lucy?" He said, turning to her as they walked.

"Mmm?"

"What was that thing Gramps said about… the time? Time being a circle or somethin'?"

Lucy slowed to a stop and frowned. "When he said "time circles and so will you", that thing?"

Natsu stopped in line with her and nodded. "Yeah, I can't get it out of my head." He said, smacking his head gently.

Lucy nodded. "I feel the same way. It was so cryptic, wasn't it!" She paused. "Maybe we should ask him to explain it when we get to the guild."

Natsu hummed a reply and resumed walking, intermittently puzzling over the Master's words as they continued their journey home.

X360

"Zeref?" The young pink haired boy yelled. "Where are you?" A pause. "Zeref?"

A small blonde girl followed him, almost walking on tip toes. "Natsu, be quiet! You know the monks hate loud noises in the library!" She said, pulling at the back of his shirt.

The boy, Natsu, rolled his eyes. "You worry too much, Lucy. Besides, if they have a problem with it, they can come fight me!" He stopped in his tracks and put his hands on his hips resolutely, a smug grin on his face. "I'll win, too!"

Lucy ran around in front of him and struck her hands firmly on her hips. "Natsu, you can't fight them." She said sternly. "They're like our _parents_. They're raising us. It would be mean." A firmly concerned face shadowed her normal features.

Natsu grinned toothily at her. "Yeah, but I'd still win."

Lucy began to reply, a finger wagging at him, but was interrupted.

"Hey you two! What are you doing here?" A soft voice called.

Natsu and Lucy both spun on their heels, trying to find the origin of the voice. They craned their necks and looked hawkeyed for the intruder.

Suddenly, two strong arms came in and wrapped themselves around the two children. They were lifted into the air, and felt their small bodies squeezed and a kiss on the top of their heads.

"Zeref!" Natsu cried, hugging his older brother back.

"Put us down, Zeref! I don't like heights!" Lucy wailed.

Smiling gently, he let the two children down and crouched to their level.  
He ruffled their hair, enjoying the grins from both of them. "Trust you two to be sneaking around."  
The soft glint in his eyes changed for a more authoritarian one. "Now, what are you two doing here? You know you're not to come to the library when the monks are studying."

Natsu watched Lucy as she kicked bashfully at the ground and bit her bottom lip. "We… we wanted to ask a question." She looked to him from under her fringe, a nervous smile on her lips.

Zeref stood up from his crouching position and smiled lightly. He remembered being curious at her age too. Supposing there was no harm in a quick answer to his younger brother and adoptive sister, he engaged. "What is it, Lucy?"

"Um." She motioned to the necklace Natsu had around his neck. "When I made that using the special star Taurus…. Did I make it out of the star? Or out of magic?"

"Can I see it?" Zeref replied, holding his hand out to Natsu expectantly.

Natsu fingered it warily, not wanting to part with it for even a moment. Zeref raised his eyebrows at him and cocked his head.

Natsu felt a nudge on his arm. "Come _on,_ Natsu. We're wasting Zeref's time!"

Natsu frowned and nodded, reaching around and undoing the necklace before placing it on Zeref's waiting palm.

The robed young man studied it for a few moments, before he grasped it and a bright, green light shone from his closed palm.

"Ah, there's your answer." He said, pleased.

"Wh…what is the answer, Zeref?" Lucy asked, confused and mesmerised by the fading light.

Zeref unclutched his palm, as the fading green light disappeared completely. "It was made because of your connection with the star, Lucy."

Natsu took the necklace from Zeref's hand and fastened it once again around his neck. "So it's made out of the star, then?"

"Not quite. It's made out of Lucy."

Both Natsu and Lucy cocked their heads. "huh?" They replied in unison.

"Lucy has a special bond with the Taurus. He's a living creation, and granted Lucy a little bit of extra power to make this." Zeref said, motioning to the stone.

Lucy piped up. "But that means it wasn't made out of me?"

Zeref handed the necklace back to Natsu and straightened up. "Magic is special and unique. It starts and ends here" he said, pointing to his chest. "Lucy's love for you was what created your present, Natsu. Taurus just gave her a bit of help."

Natsu wrinkled up his nose as looked at the necklace. "Lucy loves me?" He paused, then with all of the grace and tact of a five-year-old boy, added; "Gross!"

As Zeref began to reply, Lucy interjected, voice wobbling. "Stupid! It was just a birthday present!" She turned on her heel and shoved past Natsu, running out of the library.  
Shocked by her reaction, Natsu stood and watched as her sniffling faded with her footsteps.

"Lucy, wait!" Natsu called after her, beginning to turn and follow her.

He was halted by a firm hand on his shoulder. "Natsu. You and Lucy have a very special bond. Make sure you care for her, okay?"

Natsu again wrinkled up his nose and frowned. "Do I have to marry her?"

Zeref laughed softly, _trust Natsu to pick the most dramatic option_. "Not until you're a grown up." He released his hand from Natsu's shoulder and pushed him lightly. "Now go get her!"

Natsu nodded resolutely and ran after her, tearing out of the library and cutting through the garden.

"Lucy, wait!"

X884

Natsu and Lucy had quickly made their way back to his apartment, two and a half blocks away from the restaurant they had met at not even an hour before. The conversation was non-existent, simply the two of them huffing and puffing as they tried to reach his place all the sooner.  
As they arrived at his door, Natsu fumbled with the key, jabbing it into the lock and turning it harshly before scrambling inside.

Lucy followed him, equally as desperate as Natsu, but unsure as to why. She followed him into the dark apartment, and frowned when she heard him flick a switch and see light flood the room. She blinked her eyes a few times to get them accustomed to the new light, before spying Natsu walk into another room.  
It appeared to be his lounge room, a sofa and large TV with magazines scattered along a wooden coffee table. Natsu was off in the corner, rummaging through a chest of drawers, reprimanding himself for being so messy.  
Lucy decided to stand at the entrance way of the lounge room, watching the pink haired man across from her. It suddenly dawned on her that this was a very, very risky move. How did she know this guy wasn't a complete psychopath? She had blindly gone along with him in a moment of all consuming curiosity. Still, she couldn't ignore the small, niggly feeling in the pit of her stomach. It seemed like it had an anxious flavour to it, but there was something else. Perhaps she could sum it up in a phrase she had heard during her university years. _Obscurum per obscurius_ _,_ as she understood it, an unhelpful explanation that is just as confusing than what it tries to explain. She bit the inside of her cheek, realising the perfection of the statement. She couldn't hope to explain the intricacies of her desire to find out what Natsu had to show her so desperately.

Natsu let out an "Ah-ha!" and produced a large book.  
It was thick, with gold binding around the brown cover. It seemed a little… boring… for the amount of hype Natsu had given it.

Apparently sensing her less-than-thrilled attitude, he marched over to the sofa and plonked himself down. Splaying the book in front of him, and flipping to one of the pages he tapped it pointedly and looked at her.

"Well, come on! Don't you want to see why I bought you here?"

Lucy reluctantly took a seat on his sofa next to him and followed his gaze to the book.

Natsu began to narrate.

"In X375, The Magician, Lucy Heartfilia was known throughout the lands as the most powerful of her kind. Using the sheer force of her will, and the unknown magic's of the stars, she single-handedly crafted the first key of her magic- The Zodiac Key of Taurus. Using the key she crafted, she created a bond with the earthen star in exchange for her services in maintaining peace throughout the lands."

Lucy looked sideways at Natsu. Perhaps he really was crazy, is someone with the same name as her in an old book really worth dragging her away from dinner?  
"The girl in the story had the same name as me." Lucy observed, trying to placate a bright-eyed Natsu.

The spark from his eyes fell and his mouth downturned. "You… the dreams? Taurus?"

Lucy frowned and cocked her head. "Dreams?"

Natsu withdrew from her, and shook his head. "Yeah, remember? Back at the restaurant?" He quizzed. Following the lack of response from Lucy, he dug into his shirt and pulled at the necklace, shoving it towards her. "This?"

Lucy's eyes suddenly glazed over. She felt the same sense of hazy confusion she had experienced in the restaurant earlier that evening.

She leant over to touch it, and though Natsu flinched it away from her, he allowed her to make contact with it. She made contact with the point of her index finger, touching it lightly as if it was an eggshell.  
It was warm. Smooth.

As she withdrew her hand, the pendant began to glow. A deep, dark green emanated from the necklace still attached to Natsu, and they both gasped at the sight.

Natsu gulped down his nerves as he gently reached around to undo the necklace. He pulled it off his neck, and dangled it in front of their faces. The light became all the brighter, illuminating the room entirely, drowning out the light from the ceiling.

"What _is_ this?" Lucy said, mesmerised. "It… seems so familiar."

Natsu nodded. "I know. But it's never done this before…"

All of a sudden, the light extinguished, and they were left in the apartment with the light from the ceiling. They both gasped at the absence of the green light, and realised they had been holding their breath. They panted as they looked at each other, confusion and awe staining their features.

"What _was_ that!" Lucy panted, still regaining her breath.

"Magic"

Natsu and Lucy both scoffed. Magic wasn't real. The only time magic ever existed was in these old books, when the people of old couldn't explain phenomena. Not like now, with science. Magic was for little kids, and science was certainly awe inspiring enough as it was! There was no need to complicate life with a notion as foolish as magic.

As they grinned at each other, they both realised the most recent voice had not come from either of them, but from a third party. Terror struck them both equally

"Hello, Natsu and Lucy."

They spun around on the sofa, to see a man with dark hair and a robe standing behind them, grinning slightly.

 **AN: Hi everyone! Sorry for the very, very late delay in the second chapter! I've been so busy with life! But I'm here now, and this story is going to be one of my favorites, I think! Just to clarify, these three stories are all set in the same universe with different times. The first story is always current Natsu and Lucy. The second story is in X360 (about 400 years prior to the current Fairy Tail), and the third story is in the distant future of X880.**

 **The rating is likely to change to "M" in a few chapters, when things get a little saucy ;).**

 **Stay safe!**

 **Ella xx**


	3. Chapter 3

**X360**

When Natsu finally found Lucy, she was huddled against a large tree on the outskirts of the temple gardens. He approached her cautiously, an unhappy Lucy was truly a formidable opponent. Natsu shuffled up to her, enough to hear her breath pant irregularly out of her mouth. A pang of guilt ran through him, and he bit the inside of his cheek. He hadn't meant to upset her.

He crouched down, little form reaching out to touch his friend on the shoulder. "Lucy?"

Lucy whimpered in her sobs and shoved an arm across her face to dry some of the tears. She didn't answer him, though.

Natsu sat himself on the ground, cross legged behind her. He waited for her to turn around to him, but she simply continued to huddle close to the tree, sniffling spasmodically. He bit his lower lip in thought, trying to find a solution. His eyes widened and he grinned widely, having located the perfect apology. Tapping Lucy on the shoulder harshly, he backed up a little.

"Lucy! Look at this!"

Lucy moved her frame slightly to begin to see him, but quickly regressed and looked away again.

Natsu groaned in mild frustration. "Come on! Look! Look, look, look!" He chanted.

The small girl sighed and spun around, blood shot eyes scowling at Natsu.

He grinned at her despite her pouting and jumped to his feet, taking an even stance. "Look!" He said, as he clapped his hands together and furrowed his brow. When he released them, there was fire dancing between the space of his hands.

Lucy's eyes widened in awe, his fire was always so impressive to her. She could have stared at it forever, transfixed. She just _knew_ there was something different about his magic, something overwhelming.

"Have you read it, yet!" Natsu yelled, his concentration waning.

Lucy frowned momentarily before realising the fire he created actually _said_ something. Her reading was not the best in the temple but she was learning quickly, and she focussed on the words between his palms.

"LES GIT MARYD"

Lucy frowned at the words. She looked to Natsu with her quizzical expression, just as he ran out of steam and collapsed on the floor, spent of his energy. He puffed and wiped his brow, grinning at her widely.

"What's a _maar-yed_?" Lucy asked, confused.

Natsu scowled. "It said _married_!"

Lucy's hand slapped over her mouth in shock. Taking her hand away, she traded a closed mouth for confused eyes. "Why do we have to get _married_?" she gasped.

Natsu rolled his eyes and leant back on his hands, a matter of fact tone in his voice. "Zeref said I had to look after you. If we get married, then I can look after you all the time."

A brief silence fell between them before Lucy's surprise turned to frustration.

"I don't _need_ anyone to look after me me!" Lucy pouted. "I can protect myself! I'm a good mage, the monks said so." And for emphasis, added: "See, I even made you that" she said, shoving a finger at the necklace around Natsu's neck.

Natsu wrinkled his nose. "You made the necklace with love."

Lucy rocked onto her knees and pointed a finger in his face. "You're lucky I made you something _at all!_ It took me three whole days to make! I had to meditate and try and listen for Taurus's energy the whole time!" She flopped herself back to her backside. "And all you did was be a stupid boy about it, and not even care!"

Natsu blinked a few times, shocked by Lucy's sudden upset demeanour. He rubbed his neck sheepishly and grinned. "Sorry, Luce." He paused at her unimpressed look. "But I really like it." He said as he picked it up and cradled it. "It's… amazing." His gaze softened as he took in the necklace.

Lucy harrumphed and turned away. "Anyway. Everyone knows magic comes from love. That's what Zeref says."

"The One magic?" Natsu asked.

Lucy nodded. "Yeah. Zeref said it was that, _and_ the spirit of the magic you use." She motioned to the sky. "My spirit magic is stars." She paused, running away with a stray thought. "I wish I could see them in the day time."

Natsu nodded aimlessly at her, the cogs in his mind rolling over. "So what's my magic from?"

Lucy frowned. "Huh?"

"Where did _my_ magic come from?" He repeated.

Lucy bit the inside of her lip, and tapped a small finger against her chin. She mustered up all the wisdom her five-year-old self had as her answer. "Hmm. Maybe a fire spirit?"

"But I've never _met_ a fire spirit before." Natsu countered. "How can I-"

The two children were spun from their conversation when they heard a booming voice call to them. "What are you two doing over there?"

They looked up to the new voice, and grinned at it's arrival. A teenage boy with a full head of long, grey-blue hair sauntered up to them and sat himself cross-legged across from them, a large grin on his face.

"Acnologia!" Lucy cried, pressing herself onto her knees and launching herself at him.

The new presence caught her easily, and gripped her in a bear hug. "How are you, little one?"

Lucy wriggled herself out of his embrace and sat herself back on the grass in front of him and beamed. "I'm so good!" She paused for a moment before frowning lightly. "I've missed you, where have you been?"

Acnologia threw his head back and laughed heartily. "My, my! Aren't you a little young to be mothering me, little Lucy?"

The girl puffed her cheeks out and deepened her frown. "I'm almost six years old! The monks say I'm old enough to go to the big school now!"

Acnologia raised his eyebrows. "Well, well, well. You must have been working very hard on your magic studies while I was away, then."

Lucy's smile returned and she nodded ardently. "I have! I even made Natsu that necklace from Taurus!"

Natsu stood up and jogged over to Acnologia's sitting position. "It's true, look!"

Acnologia lifted a finger to the pendant and grinned when a small, green light emitted from it. "Wow Lucy, this is really well made. Congratulations!" and with that, ruffled the hair of the blonde girl in front of him. She smiled so widely, Acnologia was sure her cheeks would never return to their normal sizes after being stretched so far.

"And now I can use my magic to make words!" Natsu said, tugging on Acnologia's long tunic sleeve.

He turned to the boy. "Is that so? That's a big improvement!"

Natsu beamed at him. "I know! _And_ I've got so good at fighting since you left!"

Acnologia frowned mockingly at Natsu. "Well, well, little Natsu. I suppose next time the monks hold a sparring session; you'll have to challenge me."

Natsu's eyes brightened and twinkled adoringly. "Really? You'd let me challenge you?"  
A nod from Acnologia was all it took for Natsu to jump up and down happily on the grass. "Alright! I'm going to use my new secret weapon!"

Lucy instinctively moved a safe distance away from the two, having experienced Natsu's 'secret' weapon before.

To demonstrate, he took a wide stance and pushed his hands in front of him. Taking a deep breath, he puffed his cheeks and exhaled a puff of fire. It flew out of his mouth at such a speed that Acnologia barely had time to register it as he moved his head to the side to dodge it.

"Wow! I think you even seared my hair a little!" Acnologia said, fingering the lengths of his mane, impressed.

Natsu smiled widely. "It's my secret weapon!"

"But now I know about it." Acnologia pointed out.

Lucy tittered as she moved closer to the two again, and Natsu groaned loudly and slapped his forehead.

"He did this to me, too!" She said pointedly.

Acnologia grinned, and all too suddenly grabbed the boy and flipped him onto his side, locking his head under his arm. Natsu squirmed and yelled as he tried to get out, to the sounds of Lucy laughing beside them. Acnologia's squared his hand on his head and ruffled his hair, laughing heartily when he released Natsu, his hair a mess. Well, even more of a mess than it had been.

"Acnologia!" Natsu whined, trying to smooth his hair down. "that's cheating."

Acnologia guffawed and shrugged. "Gotta play a little dirty if I want to beat the likes of the Temple's 'Salamander'!"

That seemed to be enough to placate Natsu, and his grin returned.

"Now" Acnologia said, back straightening and eyeballing the two children in front of him. "Who wants to hear the stories from my latest adventure!"

 **X884**

Lucy shrieked from her spot on the sofa. "What the hell!"

Natsu instinctively put an arm in front of her, and small gesture of protection from an unknown foe.

The black clad man exchanged his light grin for a frown. "Ah yes. Your latest reincarnations haven't met me yet." He paused, putting an arm over his waist to bow. "I'm Zeref. But you may remember me as Spriggan."

Lucy swallowed thickly, remembering that name from somewhere. Somewhere in the deep, dark recesses of her mind. Somewhere she had only had fleeting access to, when she felt a sense of de ja vu.

Lucy jumped when she heard Natsu beside her. "I don't care who you are, get the hell out of my apartment!"

Zeref smiled sadly, as if he had expected this. Seemingly resigning himself to their current rejection, he spoke. "It's good to see you two find each other again. Though, it's sad that your magics will be considered insanity." He pointed to Natsu's trinket, still in his hands. "Your creation is the marker to bring back magic, Lucy." He turned to Natsu. "Her love created this for you, and your bond is ignited once again. Protect her, Natsu, because there will come a time shortly when the stars rain down in their effort to connect to her."

Natsu blinked, a frown creasing into his face. "I'm calling the cops, you're fucking crazy!"

Natsu leant to pick up the phone next to the sofa, but was stopped by a slender hand resting on his. He turned to the culprit and sat face to face with Lucy. Her eyes were glazed over, and she had a strange expression, something between realisation and confusion. Somehow, he felt he shared it. Like distant memories were seeping back into his mind.  
He turned to the intruder, but was met with a vacant space, and the light in his apartment returning to normal.

"I…" Natsu began, turning back to Lucy.

But she had closed the space between them, eyes staring into his, and her breath faintly ghosting over his skin. She licked her lips and swallowed thickly. Her eyes looked cloudy, as if she was battling between a surfaced lust and a time long since forgotten.

"I… I know you..." She said, before cupping her hands on his cheeks.

Natsu looked at her wide-eyed, as she leant still further towards him, and placed a gentle kiss to his mouth. His eyes fluttered closed, and suddenly he remembered her lips from a time once gone.

They were soft, warm, and oh-so familiar. Though his exceptional sense of smell had already deduced her vanilla-meadow scent when they first met, he smelt something different on her now. Some other scent, so reminding him of comfort and home. A sweet, gentle aroma.

Natsu faltered for a moment when Lucy pulled away from him. Her face was pinking, a blush spreading over her cheeks. She breathed shallowly, and Natsu's breath was none too different.

She bit her lip and looked away. "S-sorry. I…I don't know what came over me."

Natsu leant forward, closing the small gap between them, feeling the need for more contact, more of the home-like feeling. "Please…" he pleaded, voice scarcely above a whisper. He wasn't sure of what exactly he was asking for, but he knew that he couldn't go on without… whatever it was she could offer him.

He placed his lips over hers again, and suddenly felt home. Any thoughts of Lucy being someone he just met or the strange robed man who vanished from his apartment had flown out of his head. All he knew, was that right now, he needed to be as close to her as possible. As if being close to her would somehow solve all the problems he faced, and right the world.  
He grabbed at her thighs heavily, before running his hands up her body and down her arms. Though his touches were animalistic, they were not so much lust fuelled as they were needy. As if he _needed_ to touch every part of her.  
Lucy responded in kind, her hands roaming feverently over his hair and down his back. He pushed her further into the sofa so she was laying down against the arm rest, and let him run his hands over her body. He soon removed his mouth from hers and placed his attention to her neck, nipping and kissing the smooth column there, letting Lucy tilt her head and enjoy him. She felt so at home in his arms, caged in his desire to elicit the small, soft mewls he had quickly learnt to entice. Her world was quite simply, all him.

...

Had they been paying attention to their surroundings, instead of being enamoured with each other, they may have heard someone slide the spare key (found under Natsu's front door mat on the left hand side) into the lock. It wasn't until the person was inside the apartment, staring at the spectacle on the sofa. Lucy eventually noticed the raven-haired intruder in front of them, and shoved Natsu off her while simultaneously trying to pull the hem of her dress down from her upper thigh. Words could never hope to describe just how mortified she was at that moment, a feat conveyed by the opening and closing of her mouth with no words to declare.

" _This_ is why you ditched the party?" Gray asked, obvious anger in his voice.

Natsu, that moron, still had a lazy, hazy grin spread over his features, as if he had just been plucked from the most amazing dream he had ever had. That left Lucy to try and explain their situation.

"It- it's not…" Lucy began, meekly. "It's not like that!" She finished, her conviction stronger than her embarrassment.

"Trust two date-less morons to find each other and hook up five minutes after meeting each other. God." Gray continued. "You could have at _least_ said good-bye to Juvia. She's worried sick about you."

That seemed to be enough to bring Natsu out of his euphoric state, and he snapped to defend himself and Lucy. "Oi!"  
His knight-like state did not last long. "Shut up." He grumbled.

"Tch. Whatever. Enjoy your hook-up." He said, turning to walk out.

"Wait! Gray!" Lucy called, straightening her cocktail dress out and standing up. She grabbed the book Natsu had shown her and held it up. "Just look!"

Gray faltered for a moment, as if indecisive about weather turning around was to be worth his while. A few moments passed before he turned around to face the two, and found Lucy holding the book up with both hands. "What is it?" He said, unimpressed. "A book?"

Lucy nodded fervently and flicked open the pages of the book, trying to find where Natsu had read to her. She puffed out of her nose in frustration and looked down at Natsu. "How many of the pages in the stupid book are blank?!"

Natsu raised an eyebrow and cocked his neck, a look on his face as if he was worried for her sanity. "Uh. None."

Lucy frowned and felt her eye twitch. "Oh, really. Is that why they are _all blank then?"_ She said, flipping the pages in front of his nose.

Natsu balked at the book. "What? How'd you break a book? Gimme that." He said, ripping it out of her hands. He flipped the pages for himself, finding that they were indeed all blank.

Gray eyeballed the pair warily. "Okay, there is obviously something wrong with you two. Look, I'm just going to tell Juvia there was some sort of emergency with…" he waved his hand abstractly. "One of your family members, and she won't feel so bad. But you'll both owe me."

Natsu scowled. "Or you can go fuc-"

Lucy leaned over him and clasped her hand over his mouth. "Thank you, Gray." She said appreciatively.

Gray sighed deeply and rolled his eyes. He turned for the door and grasped it, exiting Natsu's apartment. As he pulled the door closed, he called something curious over his shoulder.

"Good to have you two back."

 **Hey Everyone!**

 **Wow, this has been** ** _a reallyyy_** **long break in between chapters. Like 3 months or something! I've actually had this written for quite a while, but I've just sort of been editing here and there and blah blah.**

 **So you might be saying "Ella, I thought there were supposed to be** ** _three_** **timelines here! Where's the current one?!"  
And to that I reply, yes, there should be a third timeline in here. However! I'ma bout to drop a bombshell and I want to be able to devote some time to expanding the concept (which will be in the next chapter). The present-canon-day timeline (the one missing in this chapter) is not really all that major in the story- it's more to tie everything together, but it does have a vital part to play! I'm very grateful for all the follows and favourites, and I'd just like to take a moment to thank the following reviewers: ****anime** **.rink.** ** _fanficlove2014_** **.** **Kittykyle9** **.** ** _Mslead_** **.** **Nalu2015** **.** ** _Usagi_** **-** ** _kun1217_** **.** **Ayrmed** **.** ** _HolyChihuahua_** **.** **Juviasaurus** **.** ** _AzureJade_** **.** **ß** **you guys rock! Thanks for your thoughts!**

 **For those of you who love the smut as much as I do, please know I'm working my way up to it, but I don't want to just throw it in there… I mean, making out on the sofa of some guy you've 'just met' is one thing, but… you know what I mean.**

 **Hope you are all well!**


End file.
